Recently, the joint replacement field has come to embrace the concept of “patient-specific” and “patient-engineered” implant systems. With such systems, the implants, associated tools, and procedures are designed or otherwise modified to account for and accommodate the individual anatomy of the patient undergoing the surgical procedure. Such systems typically utilize non-invasive imaging data, taken of the patient pre-operatively, to guide the design and/or selection of the implant, surgical tools, and the planning of the surgical procedure itself. Various objectives of these newer systems can include: (1) reducing the amount of bony anatomy removed to accommodate the implant, (2) designing/selecting an implant that replicates and/or improves the function of the natural joint, (3) increasing the durability and functional lifetime of the implant, (4) simplifying the surgical procedure for the surgeon, (5) reducing patient recovery time and/or discomfort, and/or (6) improving patient outcomes.
Because “patient-specific” and “patient-engineered” implant systems are created using anatomical information from a particular patient, such systems are generally created after the patient has been designated a “surgical candidate” and undergone non-invasive imaging. But, because such systems are not generally pre-manufactured and stockpiled in multiple sizes (as are traditional systems), there can be a considerable delay between patient diagnosis and the actual surgery, much of which is due to the amount of time necessary to design and manufacture the “patient-specific” and/or “patient-engineered” implant components using patent image data.
A significant portion of any delay between patient diagnosis/imaging and actual surgery can often be attributed to the time needed to manufacture each “patient-specific” and/or “patient-engineered” implant system to a particular patient's anatomy. Usually, such implants are manufactured individually or in small batches, using a 3rd party vendor, which can greatly increase the cost of creating such implant components (as measured on a per-implant basis) when compared to the large batch manufacturing used with traditional non-custom implants.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for advanced methods, techniques, devices and systems to ensure the availability of “patient-specific” and/or “patient-engineered” implant components for a scheduled surgery in a cost effective and efficient manner.